Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the African American Civil War Memorial Foundation will conduct a weekend of celebration. The kicking off begins with the “Proclamation 150th Awards Gala” September 19th at 6:00 PM, with the presentation of the Emancipation Proclamation 150th Abraham Lincoln Leadership Award President to Barack Obama.
Other notables to be honored included Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who will be presented the Emancipation Proclamation 150th Harriet Tubman Courage Award, Ambassador Andrew Young who will be presented the Emancipation Proclamation 150th Frederick Douglass Citizenship Award, and historian Ken Burns will be presented the Emancipation Proclamation 150th John Brown Education Award.
“The Fannie Lou Hamer Story” will be presented September 20-21, 2012. mZuri Moyo, is the author and actress in the play and has performed all over the United States and abroad. A star of both stage and film, a critic once wrote of her, “When Ms. mZuri sings, God smiles, and angels flap their wings.”
In this one-woman show, mZuri presents Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer, up close and personal. Hamer, a courageous voting-rights activist from Mississippi startled the National Democratic Party Convention in 1964 with her famous “Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired” speech about the denial of voting rights, but little is known about her work before and after that one nationally televised appearance.
This presentation in word and song captures the character in the civil rights movement, sharing Ms. Hamer’s struggles and accomplishments. Thursday September 20th performances will be dedicated to teachers and educators in the Washington Metropolitan area and Friday September 21st performances will be dedicated to veterans of the civil rights movement. Pre-performance receptions and Post-performance workshops will be conducted each day.
Educational workshops will be conducted throughout the day with FREED — the Female Reenactors of Distinction – the only troupe of African American Civil War Reenactors in the United States. Recounting the histories of women of color and their families during this era, they provide new perspectives on history and added resources to teach about this era.
All events are open to the public. For a complete schedule of the Emancipation Proclamation Celebration Weekend and ticket information for various events, please go to www.afroamcivilwar.org or call the museum at 202-667-2667.
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